Pointing The Way For The Last Time
Senior point guard Jacoby Atako became a starter early in his freshman season and, with the exception of one game last year, he has never given up the spot. Atako is once again expected to assume the role as the starting point guard for the Gauchos. His ability to run the offense and defend the opposition's point guard are both vital elements in UCSB's hopes for success.

Defending The Gauchos
In the last two seasons, Atako has really had an impact as a defender for the Gauchos. Following the 2002-03 regular season, he was voted the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year by the league's coaches. Not only was Atako the UCSB leader in steals with 38, his stifling defense on some of the league's top guards was notable. In three games against Atako, Pacific's all-leaguer, Demitrius Jackson made just 4-of-28 shots from the field (14.3%), 2-for-15 from three-point range (13.3%), had 13 turnovers, just three assists and scored ten points (3.3 per game). In a pair of games, UC Irvine's Mike Hood made just 2-of-10 shots (20.0%), 1-for-5 from three-point range (20.0%), scored seven points, had eight turnovers and four assists.

Making The A-List
Atako's senior season should see him scale at least two UCSB career top-ten lists. He will enter his final campaign as a Gaucho with career totals of 310 assists and 92 steals. His 310 assists rank Atako eighth all-time and his 92 steals ranks him 11th. It is conceivable, and realistic, to expect him to move into UCSB's top-five in both assists and steals.

Next Up: An Appearance On The Simpsons?
The television lights clearly did not give Atako any problems last season. In 2002-03, the Santa Monica native was at his best when the Fox Sports cameras showed up. While Atako averaged 4.7 points per game for the season, he chipped-in an average of 8.2 in the four games televised on Fox Sports Net. Additionally, while he made 36.4% of his shots on the season, Atako hit 14-of-21 from the field in the four televised contests, an outstanding 66.7%. Incidentally, the four Fox Sports Net games were at Pepperdine, at UC Irvine, at Cal Poly and at home against Long Beach State.

A Good Ratio
In his three seasons as UCSB's starting point guard, Atako has proven to be a sure-handed leader with the ball. As a junior, he had 101 assists and just 59 turnovers, a 1.7-to-1.0 ratio. As a sophomore, Atako was actually even better with 126 assists and 61 turnovers, a 2.1-to-1.0 ratio. In the last two seasons combined, he has passed off for 227 assists and committed just 120 turnovers, a 1.9-to-1.0 ratio. Atako, whose turnover total has gone down each season, has three-year totals of 310 assists and 185 turnovers, a 1.7-to-1.0 ratio.

2003-04 Post Season UpdateJacoby Atako is one of the unsung leaders of UC Santa Barbara's resurgence in Big West play. While he does not put-up eye-catching numbers, he has become one of the league's formemost defensive players and also one of the league's most dependable ballhandlers. With 379 career assists, Atako ranks fifth on UCSB's all-time list. In addition, he has hit the 127 steal mark for his career, placing him third on the all-time list. A starter since midway through his freshman season, Atako has led the Gauchos in steals each of the last three years and in assists in each of the last four.

Jacoby Atako enters the postseason averaging 6.1 points per game, the seventh-highest total on the team...In addition, he leads the team at 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game...Much of Atako's game is based on defense and it is difficult to judge him solely on numbers...However, Atako developed into a much greater offensive threat this season...He has scored in double-figures five times this year, going for a career-high 23 points in a game against Southeast Missouri State...In that game, Atako went 9-for-11 from the floor, 81.8%, and connected on 4-of-6 three-point attempts, 66.7%...Atako also recorded scores of 13 twice and 12 twice throughout the season...He conected on 51-of-111 shots from the floor this season, 45.9%, as well as 22-of-54 from behind the arc, 40.7%...Those numbers are far greater that his percentages last season, 38.9% from the floor, and 23.3% from behind the arc...His three-point percentage is a 17.4% improvement...Atako started the year averaging 12.3 points through the first three games, and then fell all the way to 5.4 points per contest. His numbers have improved over the last six games bringing him back up to 6.1 per game...Over the last six games, Atako has averaged 8.3 points per outing...He recorded a field goal in all but seven of the 27 games Santa Barbara played...He shot 67.8% from the free throw line on 40-of-59 shooting...He connected on a career-high four three-point baskets in the game against Southeast Missouri State...He had a season-high four steals twice, once against San Diego and once against Idaho...Atako had two or more steals nine times...He started all but five of the games this season and was one of four Gauchos to play in every single contest...He has made at least one three-point basket in the last six games...Dished out a season-high six assists twice, once in a victory over Long Beach and once in a victory over Pepperdine...Also recorded five assists on two seperate occasions...Atako ends regular season play with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.3.

2002-03 Atako was selected the Big West Defensive Player of the Year as a junior...Averaged 4.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game...Atako led the Gauchos in assists at 3.2 per game and steals at 1.2 per outing...Passed off for a season-high eight assists in a win over Centenary...Also had seven assists at Utah State and six assists at San Diego State and at UC Irvine...On the year, Atako had five or more assists eight times...Had at least one steal in 22 of 32 games...Recorded a season-high four steals at Cal Poly...Had three steals against USF and at Long Beach State and Pacific...Had two or more steals 11 times...Atako scored a season-high 11 points against Cal State Northridge and at Cal Poly...Scored in double-figures three times...Had a season-high two three-point baskets against Jacksonville State...Atako made 11 three-pointers on the season, the fifth highest total on the team...His career totals of 310 assists and 92 steals ranks him eighth and tenth on UCSB's all-time lists.

2001-02 Averaged 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game last season...He led the team in both assists and steals...One of only two players to start all 31 games for the Gauchos last season...Atako scored in double-digits six times...Tallied a career-high 13 points at Pacific...Had games of 11 points at USF and Utah State and at home against St. Mary's...He had one of the best assist to turnover ratios in the Big West at 2.1 assists for every one turnover...After a slow start, Atako had 71 assists and just 23 turnovers over the final 16 games, a 3.1-to-1.0 ratio...He had a season-high eight assists in games at UC Riverside and Long Beach State...Had seven assists three times, once each against Cal State Fullerton, Pacific and Idaho...He had five or more assists 11 times...Atako had a career-high six steals against Cal State Fullerton...Produced ten games with at least two steals...Made 24-of-69 shots from three-point territory...He hit a career-high three three-pointers in games at Pacific and Utah State...Made at least one three-point basket in 19 games...Played 887 minutes, an increase of more than 230 minutes over his first season...Atako played 30 or more minutes 15 times, 12 of which came in the second half of the season.

2000-01 After starting his freshman season as the backup at the point, Atako entered the starting lineup in game number nine and he never left it...Finished the year with averages of 4.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game...While he was second on the team in assist average, he paced the team with 83 total assists, becoming the first UCSB freshman in 20 years to achieve that feat...Atako had a career-high nine assists against Long Beach State...Added eight assists against USF, and had a pair of six assist games at UCLA and at Pacific...Had four or more assists nine times and he had at least one assist in 25 of 28 games...Atako scored in double-digits twice, going for 12 in a win over UC Riverside and 11 in a win over Cal Poly... Had seven rebounds against UC Riverside and six at Cal State Fullerton... In his last 12 games, Atako shot 80.0% from the free throw line, finishing at 70.1%...Due in great part to a very slow start and a very slow ending, he shot just 31.9% from the field...Made nine three-pointers, hitting a season-high two at UCLA.

High School Atako prepped at Santa Monica High School...Averaged 17.2 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 steals and 3.0 rebounds per game as a senior...He was a McDonald's All-America nominee...Named to the Orange County Register's Fab 15 Third Team, recognizing him as one of the top 45 players in the west...A second team All-CIF and a first team All-Bay League selection...Atako helped lead Santa Monica to the second round of the CIF Tournament...He scored a career-high 31 points against Morningside HS...Set a school record with 12 steals in a game against La Cañada HS...Also set a La Cañada Tournament record for steals...Made a career-high five three-pointers in a game against Inglewood HS...Averaged 17.8 points, 3.0 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.0 rebounds as a junior...Atako was a career 81.0% free throw shooter in high school...Played for James Hecht and Ray Humphrey at Santa Monica.

Personal Jacoby Aaron Atako was born May 6, 1982 in Inglewood, CA...Majoring in Philosophy...Nicknamed Coby...Also competed in track & field in high school...His most memorable sports moment came when, as a junior in high school, he scored 21 points in the fourth quarter of a game in the Santa Barbara High School Tournament, leading his team to victory...Also speaks Spanish...The son of Harlan and Demetria Milton.